Arch support



W. S'EIGLE ARCH SUPPORT Nov. 7, 1939.

Filed Jan. 6, 1939 ATTORN Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNI-TED STATES PATENTOFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to arch supports and more particularly to an archsupport construction which may be embodied in a support for either themetatarsal or longitudinal arch of the foot.

My invention further relates toan improvement over the constructionsdisclosed in my Patents No. 1,763,260, No. 1,763,261, No. 1,807,758 andNo. 1,848,203, the first two of which were issued on June 10, 1930 andthe latter two'of which were issued respectively on 'June 2 1931 andMarch 8, 1932.

As is well known to those familiar with the art no single arch supporthas ever been developed which will remedy all different types of archtrouble, or which can be used in treating the same type arch trouble invarious individuals. The arches in the feet of various individuals varyin height, in degree of breakdown, in muscle tone, and in length. Forproperly supporting the arches in the feet of various individuals, then,the following must be considered: the degree of resilience needed; thearea over which the resilience is to be distributed; the range or maximum movement which is best for restoring the individual arch beingtreated; and some means of resiliently limiting the movement permittedwhile at the same time maintaining the proper resilience within theprescribed range of movement.

It is the chief object of my invention, therefore, to provide an archsupport construction which embodies a spring support for the arch, yetwhich permits the substitution ofone spring for another in order tosecure the proper or prescribed resiliency, and which also embodies ameans for resiliently limiting the movement per mitted the arch, whichlimiting means is also subject to quick removal and replacement forpermitting the proper or prescribed range of movement for the particulararch being treated, with a special relation to the resiliency of thespring chosen for treating that particular arch.

Other objects of the invention are to provide an arch supportconstruction which when used for supporting the longitudinal arch of thefoot permits the distribution throughout the length and breadth of thearch of a plurality of resilient supporting means of varying heighths,having varying degrees of resiliency and having varying respectiveranges of movement; which by proper support of various parts of the archbeing supported will aid greatly in restoring the bones of the foot totheir natural positions and will also aid in restoring tone to themuscles whose function it is to normally maintain the arch in properposition; and which not only has these special attributes but which isalso possessed of the usual attributes of simplicity, cheapness ofmanufacture, and reliability.

The details in the construction of a preferred form of my invention,together with other objects attending its production, will be betterunderstood from the following description when read in connection withthe accompanying drawing, which is chosen for illustrative purposesonly, and in which,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through an arch supportembodying one form of my invention;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, taken through an arch supportembodying another form of my invention; and,

Figure 3 is a plan view of an arch support which may be considered toembody either or both of the forms of my invention shown in Figures 1and 2, and simply shows one preferred distribution of the resilientmeans used in supporting the longitudinal and metatarsal arches of thefoot.

In general the invention embodies, as the resilient means for supportingthe arch, a volute or spiral spring 5 in combination with a resilientbumper 6 preferably made of sponge rubber or the like, for limiting themaximum extent of collapse of the spring.

In the Figure 1 embodiment'of the invention one end convolution of thespring 5 is seated within an annular groove 7 which is cut into the sidewall of a circular recess 8 in a base or insole 9-. The outwardlyprojecting annular shoulder H) of the recess 8 serves to firmly hold thespring in its position on said base, yet due to the material of whichsaid spring is made, it may easily be removed from the annular groove 7and replaced if desired with a spring having a difierent degree ofresiliency. As will be seen in both Figures land 2 the bumper 6 has acentral portion which is semi-elliptical in crosssection and asurrounding annular'fiange which is substantially of the same outsidediameter as the inside diameter of the end convolution of said spring 5.This flange serves to maintain the bumper 8 in a central position withinthe convolutions of the spring, and also to keep the bumper 6 seated onthe base 9.

As previously explained a number of, these springs and bumpers may bedistributed at desired points on the base 9 simply by providing aplurality of circular recesses 8 in said base. Referring to Figure 3 itwill easily be seen that I contemplate the use of springs havingconvolutions of different diameters. Also by varying the cross sectionaldiameter of the wire of which the spring is constructed, as well as thematerial of which the wire is made, it is possible to provide springshaving the exact degree of resiliency desired. For instance spring II inFigure 3 is of larger diameter than any of the other longitudinal archsupporting springs. In treating a particular arch it may be that thegreatest support is needed at the approximate center of the location ofthe spring H. In this case a spring of comparatively great resistance todeformation can be used, while the surrounding springs l2, l3, l4 and [5may be springs having a lesser degree of resistance. Also the height ofthe surrounding springs would ordinarily be less than the height of thecentral spring ll, At the same time it might be further desired to havethe spring l5 permit a greaterrange of vertical movement for, thatparticular portion of the arch than should be permitted for the propertreatment of that portion of the arch which is supported by the springl2. In this casea comparatively low resilient bumper would be used toresiliently limit the downward movement of that portion of the archsupported by the spring l5, while a bumper of greater height would beused in limiting the permitted deformation of the spring l2. Alsoinstead of simply varying the height of the bumpers 6 the same effectmight be obtained, and is within the scope of this invention, by makingthe bumpers of materials having different degrees of resiliency orelasticity.

In marketing these arch supportsI contemplate that supports constructedaccording to the Figure l embodiment of the invention will be stocked bythe merchant, doctor, chiropodist, or podiatrist, who will in additionstock a number of sizes of springs having varying degrees of rigidity orresistance to deformation, as well as a number of bumpers 6 also havingvarying degrees of resistance to deformation, thus the personprescribing treatment for a particular arch will be enabled tosubstitute selected springs and selected bumpers for those springs sothat the arch may besupported exactly as'desired.

The Figure 2 embodiment of the invention includes the spring 5 seatedwithin a recess [6 in a base or insole 9, and held within said recess [6by means of a protective cover I! made of a suitable flexible material,the surface of which is cemented or otherwise suitably secured to theadjacent surface of the base or .insole 9 at all points except where itactually passes over and covers the spring 5. In addition, I provide aresilient pad I8 interposed between the cover I! and the adjacent end ofthe spring 5 for protecting the cover I! against injury by the end ofthe spring, and also for preventing theend of the spring from causingdiscomfort in the part of the arch being supported by the spring. Inthis embodiment the springs and their respective bumpers are not easilyreplaced. Instead supports embodying this construction will be made invarious sizes, in varying degrees of resilient support, in varyingranges of permitted vertical movement, and with the major supportlocated in various positions. The Figure 2 construction will, therefore,necessitate the carrying a much larger stock of arch supports thanwould. be required if the Figure 1 embodiment were stocked.

In addition to the above enumerated results produced by the twoillustrated and described embodiments of my invention, the combinationof the springwith the resilient bumper serves to tion permits the use ofa comparatively light and resilient spring without permitting too greatan axial deformation of the spring, which has been the greatest defectin previously conceived arch support constructions. In other words, theuse of a very resilient spring, in previously known constructions, hasresulted in such complete deformation or depression of the spring thatthe arch has not been properly supported when the body weight shifted tothat particular arch. The very resilient spring has permitted too greata range of movement for the ailing arch. The only correction' known forsuch a defect has been to use a spring of greater rigidity (or lessresiliency), and theme of the more rigid spring has not permitted properflexing of the arch, and. thus has actually weakened rather thanstrengthened the muscles and ligaments which are supposed to holdfamiliar with the art to construct and use arch' supports embodying myinvention. While I have described and illustrated specific embodimentsof the invention I am aware that my inventive prin cipal may be embodiedin a support constructed with different shaped springs and differentshaped bumpers, and I do not Wish to be limited except by the prior artand by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An arch support including: a base or insole; a volute spring mountedthereon; and a resilient bumper or shock absorber positioned within saidspring adapted to assume the major portion of any axially applieddeforming force exerted on said spring after said spring has beendeformed spring.

2. An arch support including: a base or insole;

a spiral spring mounted thereon; a protective cover of flexible materialfor said spring. at least a portion of the surface of said cover beingsecured to the adjacent surface of said insole; and

a resilient bumper or shock absorber within said spring adapted toassume the major portion of any axially applied deforming force exertedon said protective cover and consequently on the spring after saidspring has been deformed to approximately half its normal length, and toresiliently limit further deformation of said spring.

3. An arch support including: a baseor insole; a spring having one ofits ends mounted on said insole; a protective cover of flexible materialsaid protective cover and consequently on the spring after said springhas been deformed to approximately half its normal length, and toresiliently limit further deformation of said spring.

WILLIAM SEIGLE.

